Men’s Basketball Falls to Clemson Despite Late Comeback

In a hard-fought battle, the men’s basketball team fell short to Clemson 77-68 despite a second-half rally inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday afternoon.

SU found themselves in 31-16  hole early in the first half. Despite finding openings, the basket proved elusive for the Orange, who shot below 30% compared to Clemson’s 57% from the field.

Sophomore guard, Chris Bell locked into the game. – Patrick Smith 2024

Chris Bell, a key scorer for the Orange, struggled to find his rhythm until 2:48 left in the first half. It was sophomore Judah Mintz who, was a majority of the offensive production to start the contest, encouraged Bell, seen saying “shoot it”. Responding to Mintz’s encouragement, Bell managed to convert his first three-pointer en route to a 16-point performance.

“Judah always tells me to keep shooting the ball, and sometimes I hesitate. So that definitely helps with my confidence for sure,” said Bell.

Former Syracuse guard, Joe Girard III matched up against his former teammate, Judah Mintz. – Patrick Smith 2024

The game marked a homecoming for former Syracuse guard Joe Girard, who transferred to Clemson after four seasons with the Orange. Despite the warmth of seeing his family in the stands at his alma mater, Girard faced a mixture of boos and cheers from the crowd for much of the game.

“You never imagine you’re going to come back to where you played for four years… but coming back and getting a win was fun,” said Girard. 

Girard led all scorers for the Tigers with 18 points in his return to Syracuse, shooting a crowd silencing 5-6 from the field, including 4-5 from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard, JJ Starling hits a three over Chase Hunter of Clemson. – Patrick Smith 2024

Rebounding and turnovers were pivotal factors entering the game. Clemson outrebounded Syracuse 41-24, although the Syracuse defense did manage to force 21 Clemson turnovers. However, Syracuse’s offensive struggles persisted for the majority of the game, and while they staged a comeback, defensive lapses came a bit too late.

“Our last four minutes, when we battled so well to get back in, our discipline on both sides of the game was not there,” said head coach Adrian Autry.

Tying with Bell for 16 points in the contest, sophomore JJ Starling voiced his frustration, feeling that the team’s execution faltered when it mattered most.

“We stopped doing what got us back into the game and weren’t disciplined,” said Starling. “That loss was entirely on us and our mistakes.”

The Orange will wrap up their three-game home stretch against #3 North Carolina on Tuesday in the Dome. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.